


the heart yearns for home

by Sorahana



Series: Even heroes needs saving once in a while [4]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Homesick, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sickfic, on robbie's end mostly, pre-relationship awkwardness, sad crying sporty and I s-swear I don't care baka! Robbie, someone pls give this pup a hug, sporty's just his cute lovable self, the good stuff I tell you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-10 12:43:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10437999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorahana/pseuds/Sorahana
Summary: Robbie couldn't sleep one night so he decided to take a walk through the quiet town. Then he came across an unexpected sight  that he couldn't walk away from, even if he really did want to.





	1. your heart cries for (past) home

**Author's Note:**

> in my attempts to get out of doing actual work, i decided to write up this idea that's been stewing for a while. since i've wrote fluff for my last two fics, it's just a matter of time before i bring on the pain. sporty's just so extra and perfect in the show that I have a burning desire to hurt him (and then have awkward robbie helping). 
> 
> as always, apologize for oocness and whatnot. hope you'll enjoy!

With the moon shining above and the stars twinkling like the first string of lights on a Christmas day, Robbie found himself in one of his bouts of restlessness. He hated feeling this way, especially when he could feel the exhaustion seeped into his bones and made camp on his joints. No matter what he did or what he position he tried to lie in, he just couldn’t fall into that pit of deep slumber.

After much tossing and turning, Robbie sat up straighter on his fuzzy orange chair, a deep frown marring his features. He ran a hand down the side of his face, his prickly eyes sliding shut for a moment. Honestly, what did he do to deserve this? Except for being a wonderfully handsome villain? Why oh why can’t his brilliant mind switch off when he wanted to rest?

As it was, all sorts of thoughts buzzed in his head now that he accepted the fact that he won’t be able to sleep. Most of them were schemes, some of which were the inventions he planned on using the next time he sprang his trap on the blue kangaroo. Maybe instead of trying to grasp futilely at the sleep that won’t come, he could do a bit of work on his latest machine to pass the time.

Robbie did just that but after about an hour of tinkering with the occasional glance at the clock (that mocked him with the time. Ooh, if only he could rip those hands out and set his own time), even he had to take a break. He stumbled back to his chair and plopped down with a dramatic sigh. While it did tire out his mind, it didn’t seem like his body was ready to sleep just yet.

He wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Why can’t he rest his body during the time where it was blissfully silent and peaceful? He knew he couldn’t even take a daytime nap because the brats and that Sportakook made too much noise.

Robbie remained splayed on his chair for what seemed like forever before the villain jumped to his feet. It pained him to even consider this but maybe… just maybe… some… ugh, exercise would tire him out just enough to pass out. Nothing too straining for his stunning figure, of course. He decided that a walk through town wouldn’t be so bad, considering it was pretty cool and no one was out to make loud noises.

With that plan in mind, Robbie quickly scampered up the hatch, making sure to grab a scarf on the way out. Soon, he was quietly making his way through the empty streets of LazyTown.

Robbie supposed the place looked quite nice at night time. The town’s odd yet charming sloping structures seemed even more… whimsical when the shadows hid what the light from the street lamps accentuated. The trees sway ever so slightly when a breeze that tickles his cheeks blew past. There were no other sound except for his light steps and the beating of his heart. Occasionally, his ears picked up the hoots of an owl, the crinkle of leaves crunching beneath his feet, the light snores coming from the houses he passed by.

All of it made for a strange nighttime symphony, nothing special in its own but when together… Robbie’s lips curled up just a tiny bit. These kinds of noises he could get used to.

He walked a little further down the road before he heard another sound. It didn’t sound like anything else he’d heard so far. If he focused a bit, it honestly sounded like… crying?

Yes, there were those light sniffles and hitched breaths that uncomfortably reminded him so much of his own sessions. For a brief moment, a chill ran down his spine. LazyTown was a quaint, peaceful little place. Certainly not the setting for any kind of… ghosts to be in, could it?

Robbie shook his head. No, what were you even thinking! He was a man of science! Of course there were no such things as ghosts!

If that was the case, then who was making those noises? There shouldn’t be a soul awake aside from him at this time. Curiosity getting the better of him, Robbie slowly made his way to the source. He kept his steps light to avoid being noticed. Whoever that was crying sounded so… sad that Robbie found that he didn’t have the heart to scare them off.

Finally he reached the field, empty of occupants except for the lone figure sitting on the bench. Robbie approached a little before his eyes adjusted to the dim light. He all but slapped his hands over his mouth to muffle the surprised gasp upon seeing the culprit.

It was Sportanut. He was the crier that drew Robbie’s curiosity to come here. The hero was hunched, elbows resting on his knees and his face buried in his hands. While he was covering his face, it did little to hide the sounds he was making. His shoulders shook with each sob he tried to stifle, with each sharp inhale that led to a bit of a hiccupping cough, with each choked cry.

Oh, and there was the trail of tears slipping through his fingers and dripping to the ground.

Robbie stood there, completely shocked. He stared on for a few seconds longer before his brain rebooted itself. The villain backpedaled a few steps before he dove behind the nearest wall. He pressed a hand against his chest as he slowly slid down into a crouch.

What was… what was that? Sportakook was crying. The all perfect, slightly above average hero was honest to god _crying._

Robbie swallowed heavily. Walking into that scene felt like he was intruding onto something that he shouldn’t have seen. He thought that if he were ever in a position to see his nemesis’ being so vulnerable, he would be all over it. Take what he saw, psychoanalyze the probably reasons behind it and then implement it into his latest plan. Surely if he took advantage of Sportaloon’s weakness, he could finally get rid of the hero forever.

That was what Robbie thought he would have done. Instead, seeing Sportdoof crying like that, he felt something twinge in the area where his heart should be.

Robbie bit his bottom lip. Even now he could still hear the pitiful sobs that should have made him cackle with joy. Instead, all that he felt was… a want to make that noise stop. In essence, a desire to make Sportanut stop crying, to make him feel better.

It was a disgusting, horrible thought that Robbie hated himself for considering. Despite his personal grievances, there was no denying the spark of something and the want to… _ugh,_ help his antithesis. Even when he closed his eyes, the sounds helped paint a mental image of the hero with puffy eyes, tear tracks on his cheeks and the saddest, most miserable look on his face.

Robbie should be enjoying that! Should be searing that image into his brain so he could pull it out when he wanted a good laugh! He should not be feeling that sickening desire grew the longer Sportanut cried.

His brilliant mind went into overdrive as he considered everything that he saw and felt. In the end, he could only drop his head into his hands and scream silently at what he was about to do.

Robbie just knew that he couldn’t walk away, not when he was in this deep and definitely when he felt a heavy feeling pooled in his stomach at the thought of leaving.

With a deep, defeated sigh, the man straightened himself, wincing at the protest that his achy back made. Seriously, Sportaloon was so going to owe him for this.

Robbie left his hiding spot and walked almost mechanically towards the miserable hero. How could he still be crying? Why can’t he just stop so Robbie could prevent himself from spiraling down in this madness?

No, Sportanut just had to ruin his time, like he always did. _Ugh._

He stopped just beside his nemesis, who didn’t seem to notice his presence. From this angle, he couldn’t help but noticed something that was strange enough to overlap his (worry fueled) anger with shock.

Was that…?

It seemed that he made some sort of noise because Sportakook jumped. He instinctively looked up, presenting to Robbie the exact mental image (only ten times as worse since those baby blue eyes looked so sad) that he had before. Those eyes zeroed in on him and the hero gasped out in surprise

“R-Robbie!” It was then that panic seeped into his expression for a split second before he turned to furiously wipe at his face. Really, did he thought that it would help? He got a full view of his pitiful mug (which shouldn’t make something twinge uncomfortably!) anyway.

Sportacus didn’t exactly faced him after that futile attempt but it was obvious that he was trying to brush it off. There was a painfully fake laugh before, “What are you doing—“

“Can it Sportadork. I saw that you were crying,” came Robbie’s blunt reply.

Sportacus physically flinched at that before he dropped any pretenses of being fine. Once again, he was hunched over, his head buried in his hands. Robbie was kind of afraid that he was going to start crying again when he heard a voice so soft that he had to strain his ears to listen.

“I’m sorry you had to see that…”

Robbie instinctively scowled in order to stop himself from giving a different, more sympathetic response. He certainly didn’t care about Sportaloser. He just wanted him to stop crying so he wouldn’t be feeling all weird anymore, that’s all.

“Please, seeing my nemesis like this? I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he spat out but it lacked the usual, mocking bite.

If possible, Sportanut was trying to make himself as small as physically possible. Robbie heaved out a deep sigh. Wasn’t he supposed to be the dramatic one here?

Figuring that he had nothing better to do than to continue his streak of crazy decisions, Robbie ordered Sportaloon to scoot over so he could sit next to him. At least he still had a speck of common sense left in that empty head of his.

Robbie sat down with little fanfare, crossing his long legs as soon as he found a comfortable enough position. The hero remained silent beside him and he would have thought that he’d pass out or something if it wasn’t for the little sniffles he was still making.

That sound was getting on his nerves. “So, what’s got the great Sportakook crying and why don’t I know about it?”

There was no answer. Robbie sighed out loud. He hated this growing sense of… _feelings._ Why can’t he just leave right now?  Why can’t he keep his mouth shut?

“Look, it’s obvious that something’s bothering you. While I’m all for this, the sounds are getting on my nerves. I’m already having trouble sleeping and this isn’t really helping me pass out.” If there was one thing that Robbie knew how to manipulate, it was the hero’s guilt complex.

(It didn’t feel good doing it this time around. _Ugghhhhh_ ).

Just like he expected, Sportanut slowly lifted his head, just enough for Robbie to see his puffy eyes. He supposed it was better than the whole face. Everything below the nose must be a total mess and he didn’t want to see a droopy mustache. Really.

“It’s… it’s silly… and you’re going to laugh…” came the pitiful response. Robbie wanted to groan out loud. Why was this so hard? Can’t he see that Robbie was already wasting his precious time asking about his wellbeing? Just the thought alone made him feel like he was going to break out in hives.

He wanted to snarl and complain, grouse and mock. Instead, all he said was, “Look, I didn’t laugh when I saw you cry earlier. What made you think I’m going to start now?” Yes, Robbie himself was wondering about that.

Thankfully, Sportaloser seemed to consider his words before he gave a small nod. His body language after that screamed hesitance, which was an odd look for the hero. Robbie found that his treacherous mind didn’t like this look.

“I…” The heel of his hand rubbed at his eye and at that moment, Sportaloon looked like a sad puppy. “I was just… I felt… homesick.”

“Homesick,” Robbie repeated neutrally. Sportakook dipped his head once before he looked away. Perhaps silently anticipating for the mockery that was sure to come from the villain.

Robbie found that he couldn’t make even a verbal response. He was sort of reeling from this piece of information. Sportaloser was crying because he felt homesick? _Really?_ The all loving, perfect hero who regularly put his safety above others, who said he didn’t fear anything, who could perform such aggravatingly awing feats, was crying because he _missed home?_

That was childish! Laughable! Humiliating! ... And it made a lot of sense when his mind decided to replay the surprising sight from before.

When he took everything into consideration, Robbie can’t help but understand why Sportanut was feeling this way. And it wasn’t just that anomaly that separated him from the rest. Looking back, even he couldn’t help but wonder as to why the hero didn’t break earlier. If Robbie was in his shoes, he might not be so well off.

Apparently he’d kept silent for far longer than he thought. Sportacus took it differently and started to apologize again, eyes still not meeting his. “I-I’m sorry if you think that it w-wasn’t—“

“Don’t. I understand.” It was a toss up to see who was more surprised. Sportaloon finally looked at him properly, shock and just the tiniest spark of hope present within those watery blue eyes.

“Really?”

Knowing that he couldn’t back out now, Robbie let out a sigh, his fingers running through his hair. “Yes. I mean, it’s not unheard of for people to cry when they miss home.” A deliberate pause. “I’m guessing that’s the case with you. Your heart is three times too big and you live in an airship. Where did that thing come from? Always been with you when you… left home?”

It was a gamble really, one that he didn’t know why he was even taking. Sportanut either closed himself off or talked more on it, which was honestly a losing situation for him either way.

At least it was more bearable when he did decide to talk. “Yeah… it was gifted to me, when I set off to become a hero…”

So that was how Robbie found himself learning more about Sportacus than he ever imagined he would. He talked about beautiful mountains and open, grassy fields. The wide blue ocean and the mighty glaciers that acted as guides for people. His other friends who trained alongside him. Just about everything that Robbie filed away for further introspection.

Oh, he noticed all the pauses and backtracks. Like he was still trying to hide some aspects that Robbie assumed was about his uniqueness. If he didn’t come to this conclusion, he would have just assumed that Sportaloon was going crazy or something.

After what seemed like forever, it looked like Sportakook was calm again. His eyes were still puffy and he was still sniffling but he didn’t have that sad puppy look anymore. If anything, his cheeks were flushing in embarrassment?

“I’m sorry for rambling on like that. It’s been… a long while since I talked about home. It was… nice,” Sportacus apologized, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. The entire look was strangely adorable. Robbie quickly squashed that thought before it could settle in his mind.

“Yeah yeah.” Robbie waved one hand airily, hoping that he wouldn't notice his rapidly heated cheeks. “It wasn’t like I had anything better to do. Might as well listen about where a fruitcake like you came from.”

Instead of looking offended, Sportanut simply smiled at him. It made something inside go all flip flop. He didn’t like it.

“Thank you Robbie. For listening, I mean. I really appreciate it,” Sportasap said it with so much gratitude that Robbie just wanted to recoil in disgust. Eww feelings.

“ _Ugh_ , stop it with that sappiness. It’s making me gag.” That simply made Sportanut smile even wider. Robbie wanted to scream.

Thankfully, he was saved from giving another response when that annoying crystal started to beep.

“Someone’s in trouble!” The hero immediately jumped to his feet. Instead of hurriedly backflipping away, he paused, oddly deliberate, before he turned back to Robbie.

“I’ll see you around? And try to get some sleep, okay?”

Robbie didn’t have time to splutter out an answer before the blue cartoon did flip away. He was left there, stewing in all of these aggravating emotions.

Honestly, what just happened? It felt like everything that Robbie knew just got turned on its axis, leaving him spinning and stumbling for a balance. He was supposed to be the villain and yet he helped his nemesis feel better. He had plenty of chances to humiliate Sportaloon and yet he chose to listen quietly as he poured his heart out.

Most importantly, he knew that Sportanut was not who he said he was. He was different and judging from his responses, it wasn’t something he wanted others to know. Robbie could take full advantage of this and yet… he knew he wouldn’t. In fact, his mind was churning up something that he knew would further skew his perception of his world.

Oh well. The night was still young and he had new reading materials to look into…

Robbie buried his head into his hands and screamed.

 


	2. your heart yearns for (current) home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the second chapter is finally up! definitely had a fun time writing this bit! sporty is just so cute and endearing that I can't resist making him sad but don't worry, robbie the secret softie rotten is there to help!
> 
> i would like to give a huge thanks to barcelona aka lemonrotten on tumblr for drawing a scene from this chapter! their art is tots awesome and you should def check it out!
> 
> as always, please forgive mistakes/ooc and i hope ya'll enjoy!

Ever since that unexpected night encounter, Robbie reluctantly let his curiosity take charge whenever he didn’t feel like working on inventions. It took a bit of extensive research to even procure legitimate reading material – or at least, the closest he could get – for this particular topic but Robbie was not a man who backed down from a challenge. Unless it was related to anything that was remotely healthy.

In the end, it took approximate two months before he could get his hands on the elusive book. Robbie didn’t know why he was expending so much time and effort for this but then his mind replayed the tears and god, he’d do anything to make it stop. Really, that was the reason why he was even doing this.

Sportaflop was a nuisance to deal on a regular day. He just wanted to avoid the appearance of Sportacry and his aggravating sniffles. And frustratingly sad looks. And the teary baby blue eyes that Robbie felt the sudden need to wipe—

Really, he just didn’t want to deal with all of that.

Robbie poured all of his attention into the book during those moments where he had nothing better to do. He learnt quite a deal about Sportadork and his particular biology, some of which he wanted to erase from his mind as it was giving him indecent thoughts—

There really was a lot of interesting, biological related things that was definitely not a part of the topic Robbie was trying not to think of. Such as how Sportaloon ran at a higher temperature than humans, needed less food to get the same level of energy and the whole sugar meltdown thing. Something about how their bodies could not digest processed sugar so the natural thing was to simply shut down when they had the misfortune of ingesting it.

(Ugh. Why must he be so extra in everything?)

It also spoke of their diet. They really do eat a lot of those despicable sportscandy. Some of the listed ones were quite hard to find in these neck of the woods. Well, if one were to get them naturally. Of course someone of his genius and standing in the underground world would be able to work out something…

Which he did. Robbie didn’t know the entire details aside from the fact that he was the proud owner of a box filled with foreign stuff. It was a good thing that it could last quite some time so long as you sprinkle a bit of magic on it. Why was he even keeping these ingredients fresh still remained a mystery even to him.

At least it came in handy a few weeks later.

\--

When Sportacus woke up that morning, he felt unnaturally cold. It was like he had submerged himself into an ice bath and stayed there for hours on end. The moment he could form a coherent thought, his arms quickly pulled the covers up, trying to warm himself up.  His body still shivered uncomfortably and not only that, he could feel a deep rooted ache in his muscles.

While it had been literal years, Sportacus was not naïve to these sensations. He groaned miserably, feeling decidedly betrayed by his body. Why did it have to turn on him like this? He took great care of it!

Well, at least he usually did. Sportacus had been pushing himself a bit more than usual for the past week or so. A great storm had caught the town off guard and he’d been pulled left and right with no room to breathe. If it wasn’t to save someone from a suddenly collapsing branch, he’d be knee deep in flooded areas to help with the cleanup.

Thankfully there were no casualties and half of the damage was easily fixable. That didn’t stop him from offering his help on anything that he could sink his fingers into. The town needed to be fixed and what kind of hero would he be if he wasn’t able to do that?

Sportacus let loose a sigh, which caught in his throat and triggered a bout of painful coughing. He threw his arm over his eyes, groaning silently. He hated being sick. Being confined to a bed all day was painful enough but being alone when it happened? That empty feeling stabbed him more than the sickness ever could, leaving him a miserable mess until the worst of it passed.

Already he could feel a chill unrelated to his rising fever settle into his soul. His eyes stung from the tears that formed and he quickly wiped it away. He was an adult for (pardon the pun) crying out loud! Not to mention the hero that was seemingly infallible in the eyes of the children he swore to protect. He can’t let this get to him, let alone reduce him into an embarrassment state.

The sigh morphed into a groan when his crystal decided to beep. Honestly, Sportacus wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped up and in bed but the guilt of ignoring a danger would eat him alive. Like it or not, he just had to power through. Once the problem was dealt with, he could return and get some rest.

He pushed himself up, sitting still until the dizziness pass before he swung his feet over the side of the bed. Moving from the bed to the control panel took far more effort than necessary, not to mention the journey from his current location to LazyTown.

By the time the airship hovered almost lazily above the town, Sportacus headed towards the deck. In his current state, being so high up was dizzying, making him take in several deep breaths before he risked a glance below. An odd sort of feeling built up in his stomach, tossing and churning until he was forced to take a step back, one hand pressed against it.

Alright Sportacus, you can do this. Just like all the previous times.

The climb down the ladder became one of the rare moments where he felt actual fear coursing through his body. At least it helped overrode the sick feeling until his feet touched the ground, though it left him feeling worse off than before. Once more, he gulped in several deep breaths before he jogged towards the source of danger.

It turned out to be that kitten again. This time, it got itself stuck inside the mailbox for some reason. He could hear the echoey meows and scratching noises. The poor thing must be so scared in there.

Sportacus easily fished out the kitten, who squirmed in his hold until it was out of the mailbox. He brought the kitten close to his face, giving it a small boop on the nose before placing it down. The smile on his lips lasted up until the kitten disappeared from view.

His body almost sagged after that. Now that the danger was dealt with, he could feel his body crying out for rest. Sportacus wasn’t looking forward to the climb back up but he had no other choice. The sooner he got back, the faster he could sleep this sickness off.

Sportacus jogged once more but this time, each step felt heavier than the last. His forehead beaded with sweat and his clothes clung uncomfortably to his body. He was also feeling out of breath faster than usual, to the point that he had to stop just to breathe in sweet air.

Perhaps he should sit down for a moment. Once he regained his energy, he would head back to the airship. Sportacus half stumbled to a nearby bench and sat down heavily. The world was spinning, the ground swaying side to side. He buried his face in his hands, willing the dizziness to pass. The hero didn’t notice how he was slowly tipping to the side until his body hit the surface of the bench.

Sportacus blinked confusedly for a moment as he tried to summon up the energy to think. Even that proved to be difficult so he closed his eyes, which proved to be a mistake as he slipped into unconsciousness just before a figure approached him.

\--

The next time he woke up, it felt like he just took on a train and lost horribly. His body ached something fierce, a prickly like pain settled in his throat and he felt chilly. Sportacus shivered, trying to burrow himself deeper into the blanket draped over him. It was then that a coherent thought formed in his mind.

Where was he exactly? It felt like he was sitting on something soft and fuzzy, his body clothed in loose breathable garments. Sportacus certainly didn’t remember changing into something else though he appreciated it nonetheless. His usual attire had felt far too constricting for his liking.

Soft footsteps came from his side, making him turn instinctively. There was a soft gasp before he felt something icy cold pressed against his forehead. Sportacus flinched and tried to squirm away but then he heard a deep sigh.

“If you’re awake, Sportadofus, then you should act like it.” A distinctly familiar voice grumbled. Sportacus decided to follow his suggestion so he slowly opened his sticky eyes, blinking a few times until it focused enough for him to make out Robbie’s frown.

“Robbie?” He croaked out, swallowing with a wince. “Where am I?”

His expression twisted into something unidentifiable. Surely that wasn’t concern on his face, was it? “You’re in my lair. I found you passed out with a fever high enough to fry your empty brain. Those hooligans would make a whole lot of ruckus if they found you like that so to spare myself the trouble, I brought you here.”

Sportacus found himself latching onto the last bit. “You… brought me here?” A brief pause. “You… helped me?”

Robbie scowled in response, standing back to full height with a huff. “No, I did not help you. I just wanted to spare my eardrums from those brats screaming their lungs out. Besides, in a way I have you trapped. That fulfills my agenda for the day.”

Sportacus stared at him for a long while, trying to make sense of it all. Before he could ask more questions, his breath hitched and he found himself coughing into the crook of his arm. It was when he felt like he could breathe again that the gentle touch on his back disappeared. He cracked open an eye, finding Robbie standing where he was, though once again he looked oddly worried.

“Robbie… some water please?” His voice sounded hoarse and he resisted the urge to whimper. Everything hurt and he wasn’t able to do anything about it aside from riding it out.

The man heaved out a sigh. “Fine. Don’t you dare get up or else I’ll spike the water with sugar.” With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the next room.

Without Robbie, the lair suddenly felt cold and empty. Sportacus pulled the blanket tighter around himself, burying his face into the fuzzy material. Something tickled his forehead when he moved, feeling like…

Eyes widening in horror, one hand shot up and found that he wasn’t wearing his hat. This meant that all this while, everything was exposed, from his blonde curly hair to his well-kept secret. Did Robbie not notice anything? As much as he tried, his hair could not properly cover his pointed, elven ears.

Had he seen them? What did he thought about it? Was he disgusted at all at the sight? Will he use this information against him? So many questions buzzed in his mind, making him feel dizzy. With it, he felt that deep pang of homesickness hit him, his eyes tearing up.

Sportacus was sick and achy and he had no idea if he could even stay in LazyTown after this. He missed his home in the highlands but he had also considered this quaint little place as a home, too. Will he be losing this one in the end?

His frantic thoughts were cut off when he felt someone shaking his shoulder. Teary blue eyes snapped open to find that oddly concerned look on Robbie’s face again.

“I thought you keeled on me or something,” he said easily, tone tinged with something unrecognizable. Sportacus’ gaze shifted from Robbie to the tray that he brought. There was a glass of water as well as a bowl of something green. It looked to be a soup of sorts, the scent being somewhat recognizable to him.

He wasn’t able to dwell on it for long. Robbie had grabbed a chair and sat in front of him, picking up the bowl of soup. It took an annoyingly long time for him to form a proper sentence.

“Robbie… what are you…?” Sportacus asked nervously, trying to stay perfectly still. Robbie had yet to comment on his ears so maybe he hadn’t seen it yet. Maybe. He didn’t know what to think or how to feel.

“You’d think I’d let you spill this onto my perfectly fuzzy chair? Oh no, I’d rather waste the time to feed you myself than spend hours on trying to get green off of orange.” He stirred the contents a few times, scooping it up and blowing on it before he brought the spoon to Sportacus’ lips.

Even in his current state, the hero knew better than to keep Robbie waiting. He opened his mouth and the moment the liquid hit his tongue, he very nearly gasp in surprise. The taste, so distinctly unique yet familiar, brought back memories of sitting in front of a fireplace, wrapped in a blanket and his mamma spoonfeeding him some herbal soup to help him recover from a cold.

Sportacus let it linger in his mouth for a moment longer before swallowing. His eyes were wide with wonder and surprise, almost afraid to ask the question that popped up. Was this really…?

He wasted no time with second spoonful and once again, that familiar nostalgic taste hit his senses, making him tear up by the time he swallowed. Sportacus was brought to the verge of tears in the next couple of spoonful, which finally caught Robbie’s attention.

“Sportaloser… you okay there?” His eyes went to the bowl of soup. “Is there something wrong with the soup? I thought I followed the recipe right down to the letter…”

“No, nothing’s wrong with the soup,” Sportacus choked out, swiping at his misty eyes. “It’s just… it tasted so…”

He trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud just in case he was incorrect about it. Then Robbie proved him wrong.

“It tasted like something elvish, was what you were about to say.” Robbie raised an eyebrow. “Well of course it should. It’s an elvish recipe that I found in a book. Getting the ingredients was a pain but it’s nothing that a man of my caliber can’t solve.”

The way he spoke so casually about it stunned Sportacus into silence. His mouth opened and closed uselessly a few times before he found his voice again. “E-Elvish… so you know..?”

“That you’re an elf? Yeah, I do. Saw your ears that night and everything made a whole lot of sense.”

His head was spinning from how nonchalant Robbie was being. “But… I’m an… elf. Doesn’t that… bother you?”

Sportacus was inwardly prepared for mockery and derision but his world got flipped on its head once again when Robbie shrugged his shoulders. “You’re still an annoying blue kangaroo, only with pointier ears and a tendency to do exhausting flips just because the concept of walking seemed foreign to you.”

Was he gaping? He can’t really tell. Sportacus was trying to process everything as fast as he could. Robbie looked like he was losing his patience.

“Are you gonna eat or not? I don’t have all day you know.”

Sportacus was still reeling from everything but there were still two things he needed an answer for. Swallowing heavily, he whispered out, “Why did you do this? Are you going to tell… everyone else about me…?”

His heart just about jumped to his throat when Robbie huffed out a laugh. “Of course telling everyone sounds very tempting…” Here, his expression softened a bit. “… but I won’t. Like it or not, my brain keeps telling me that it must have been heard for you to fit in among humans. I might be a magnificent villain but I’m not a cruel one.”

Sportacus stared at Robbie as his cheeks turned slightly pink, expression morphing into a half frown. “Why am I doing this? To be honest I don’t know myself. I just… can’t help but remember that night.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “You’re far away from home with people that aren’t even the same species of you. If you feel homesick to the point of crying… I can… almost imagine the sort of loneliness you’d feel… Thought something that taste like home would help.”

It was too much for Sportacus at that point. Hearing that Robbie sincerely meant his words, going so far as to make him something just to help him feel better and even taking the time out to care for him…

Robbie nearly fell out of his seat when Sportacus burst into tears. He placed the bowl of soup down, hands hovering awkwardly. What should he do? Rub his back? Say comforting words? Why was he even crying in the first place?

“Why are you crying?” Robbie blurted out.

Sportacus sobbed openly, tears streaming down his cheeks. No matter how many times he tried to wipe his eyes, it did nothing to stop the flow. Throughout it all, he had a small smile on his lips, one that Robbie missed in his alarm.

“I’m j-just…” A hitch. “I’m s-so… happy!” Sportacus looked up, flashing Robbie a wobbly smile. “This is t-the first t-time… someone’s been… s-so kind to me!”

Robbie just stared. “Oh.” His eyes shifted to the side. He was a villain! He did not do niceness! And yet, he couldn’t deny that everything he did so far gave that impression to the elf. Robbie just couldn’t find it in him to deny what Sportacus said, partially because the hero looked so happy.

( The other part felt distinctly pleased that he was able to make Sportacus feel so happy. )

Eventually the sobs died down, leaving behind sniffles and the occasional hiccups. Robbie quickly yanked out a handful of tissues and shoved it into Sportacus’ hands.

“You look disgusting. Clean your face up before you give me nightmares,” he complained, though his tone lacked bite. Sportacus did as he was told, turning to blow his nose before he looked back at Robbie, eyes puffy and red but with a wide smile on his lips.

“Thank you, Robbie,” Sportacus whispered, the slight rasp to it making his heart flutter oddly. “Just thank you, so _so_ much.”

In the face of the compliment coupled with the confusing emotions he was experiencing, Robbie did the only thing he could. Plastering on a scowl, he picked up the bowl of soup, cheeks warming up slightly.

“The soup’s cold now and it’s your fault! I’m not going to warm it up again so you’re stuck finishing this! Eat it before you make yourself a disgusting crying mess again.”

Sportacus didn’t look offended at all. He simply had that bright, warm smile that made Robbie’s cheeks warm up even more. Ugh, was he catching whatever bug the elf had? If that was the case, then he will surely pay for this!

The hero’s lips parted, presumably to say something (sweetly) disgusting. Robbie shoved the spoon into his mouth.

* * *

                                                           

                                                                       [Art](https://lemonrotten.tumblr.com/post/159271829826/when-sportacus-is-sick-robbie-makes-him-a-soup) by [lemonrotten](https://lemonrotten.tumblr.com/). Posted with permission from artist.

* * *

Eventually he fell victim to the elf’s happiness. Without realizing it, Robbie was smiling, smaller but no less genuine. Sportacus merely eat each spoonful in silence, smiling with his eyes watery from the burst of warmth within him.

Robbie had helped ease his homesickness. Now he couldn’t help but wonder that maybe, he could make this town feel even more like a home that he created together with the man that filled him with this indescribable level of joy.

Perhaps in the future. Right now, he just had to focus on recovering and enjoy Robbie’s brand of caring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh im sorry sporty for making you an emotional mess but donut worry you get all the love and comfort after that. robbie being kind and caring is still my hecking jam can you tell

**Author's Note:**

> it's pre easy to tell what this strange sight was. can you believe this whole chapter was to justify the upcoming sickfic segment? im just trash for feverish emotional sporty ok. hopefully i'll get the next chapter up sometime this week!


End file.
